The Campbell Academy Blog (96)

Harnessing Collective Intelligence

HT to Martin T for the title of this blog.

After yesterday's carnage of horrible toilets and questioning attendance, today was an extraordinary day at the ITI autumn meetings and my first ITI Education Committee meeting.

It's clear to see that since the new CEO, Alexander, took over from the ITI in 2019, he has worked systematically and tirelessly to change the structure, the approach and the culture of the ITI.

I watched a presentation this morning about the governance of the committee and an introduction to the RACI Framework (responsibility, accountability, consulting and information), which tells you where you sit in the hierarchy and what your job is.

Primarily, my job in the ITI is in the C of the RACI framework.

I don't have responsibility for work being provided, nor do I have accountability; my role is consultative (although I do fall into the accountability role at other times).

What was interesting about the ITI education committee meeting, which has now been streamlined, is that we had two academic individuals of implant provision from Harvard in Boston.

Irena Sailer is a professor of restorative dentistry from the University of Geneva.

Another individual is a maxillofacial surgeon who had a private practice and has sold it, and she has been dazzlingly successful.

A high-level online educator from the Far East, together with the president of the ITI (Charlotte Stilwell), the CEO Alexander Ochsner, the chief marketing officer, Philip and the ITI Academy manager Martin (who prompted the writing of this blog).

In the right circumstances in the right environment, there is a dazzling amount of talent in that room who can solve problems and creatively come up with ideas and solutions and move things forward at an extraordinary rate, but it has to be facilitated, and it has to be managed.

In a room like that, egos and sensibilities and sensitivities could easily get out of hand, but the meeting was shepherded in such a fantastic way that it feels like you've been part of something that's made a difference and made things better and gives you hope for the future and can see a pathway to something extraordinary.

I wonder if we need this in many other areas of life.
I wonder if we need this as much as we possibly can, with our young people and with our engaged and motivated teams.

And I wonder how I can take this back to my own business, which is full of people who are intelligent and motivated and seeking to make a difference because the harnessing of collective intelligence is hugely greater than the sum of its parts and would give us a superpower a weapon to make things better and better again.

Cheers, Martin.